SALEM, Ore. — U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon has decided not to enter the increasingly crowded race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination after months of consideration.

Merkley told the Associated Press the large field of Democratic contenders for the White House was not a major factor in his decision, nor was an Oregon law that prevents him from being on the ballot for more than one elected office in any given year.

"I've never shied from a fight, and there's nothing about the field that would make me reluctant to be there," Merkley said.

Merkley, who planned to formally announce his intentions Tuesday, said in a telephone interview that he decided he would be more effective running for his third term in the Senate than being a candidate for the presidency.

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